Apollonia Vitelli

Apollonia Vitelli (1931-1948) was the first wife of Michael Corleone. In 1948, she was killed by a car bomb meant for her husband.

Biography
Apollonia Vitelli was born in Corleone, Sicily in 1931, the third child of an Italian father and a Greek mother. Her family was protective of her as she grew into a beautiful young woman, and she met Michael Corleone shortly after he arrived in Sicily from New York City. After receiving the approval of Apollonia's father, Michael courted Apollonia in the Old World tradition (with the family chaperoning), and they married in 1948. They had a loving, yet short, marriage, and Apollonia began to smoke cigarettes and wear her hair in the American fashion. She even taught herself how to drive, which would unfortunately lead to her doom.

Death
One afternoon, Apollonia planned to surprise Michael by driving his car for him. However, Michael's trusted bodyguard Fabrizio planted a bomb in the car, having been bribed by the Barzini crime family to murder him. Michael was alerted to the plot when Fabrizio ran away, and he attempted to warn Apollonia. However, in starting the car, Vitelli triggered the car bomb, and she was killed in the explosion. Corleone would later send a hitman to kill Fabrizio in New York.